The One Year Bible Club with Teaching
Commentary by Nick Boork
January 17
Matthew 12:1-21
Commentary by Nick Boork
January 17
Matthew 12:1-21
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At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” 3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him. 11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. 15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 18 “ Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, 19 He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory 21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.”
OKAY, HERE’S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
I want us to focus in on verse 15. Great multitudes followed Jesus healed them all. Isaiah prophesied this concerning the Messiah; that God would be pleased with his servant Jesus Christ and pour out his Spirit upon him. A bruised reed he will not break and smoking flax he will not quench. Now this is very interesting. When it says a bruised reed he will not break this is referring to the steadfastness and the faithfulness of Jesus Christ not to break under the pressure of opposition. As a kid growing up in Michigan I remember going to the gravel pits and plucking out reads that were growing in the water and trying to break those reeds apart. It was almost impossible to break those reads that were growing in the water. In other words Jesus would be strong and he would not give up under pressure. That's what it means when it says a bruised reed He will not break. Jesus was bruised by the rejection of men but he didn't break under their rejection. He kept going faithful to his Father healing the sick and teaching the word of God.
Where it says God’s Servant would be like smoking flax that could not be quenched this is referring again to the character of Jesus Christ. This means that Jesus would continue his mission in spite of opposition just like smoking flax that couldn’t be quenched. Smoking flax reminds me of a certain kind of fuse used for lighting dynamite. I have experimented with this kind of fuse. You can stomp on it, you can put it in water, it just will not go out but keeps on burning. About the only way you can put this stuff out is by cutting it off. That's what the Bible's talking about here. Jesus, our Messiah, the Savior of the world, would not be quenched. He would keep on going in his ministry no matter what kind of opposition came from people. Nothing could stop on him! He would just keep on preaching, healing the sick and ministering to people until He fulfilled his mission.
How did he do it? He did it with the help of the Holy Spirit. This is encouraging because the same Holy Spirit that was upon Jesus is now not only upon but living in Believers! Check out Isaiah 59:17-20 and Romans 8:11 that talk about the same Spirit of the Lord living in Believers! The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to be like Jesus, so that nothing quenches our fire for God and we don't break under pressure. We just keep on preaching and keep on ministering and keep on healing the sick and keep on building the church and keep on doing our ministry until Jesus Christ comes or we go to be with him. Are you tired and weak? Ask the Father to fill you afresh with the Holy Spirit and make you like Jesus, unstoppable until you complete all God had for you to accomplish in this world. That’s a prayer the Father will answer, Jesus guarantee’s it! Luke 11:13 That's it my friends rejoice and have a wonderful day of the Lord.
PRAYER TO APPLY THE WORD OF GOD TO OUR LIVES
9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him. 11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. 15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 18 “ Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, 19 He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory 21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.”
OKAY, HERE’S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
I want us to focus in on verse 15. Great multitudes followed Jesus healed them all. Isaiah prophesied this concerning the Messiah; that God would be pleased with his servant Jesus Christ and pour out his Spirit upon him. A bruised reed he will not break and smoking flax he will not quench. Now this is very interesting. When it says a bruised reed he will not break this is referring to the steadfastness and the faithfulness of Jesus Christ not to break under the pressure of opposition. As a kid growing up in Michigan I remember going to the gravel pits and plucking out reads that were growing in the water and trying to break those reeds apart. It was almost impossible to break those reads that were growing in the water. In other words Jesus would be strong and he would not give up under pressure. That's what it means when it says a bruised reed He will not break. Jesus was bruised by the rejection of men but he didn't break under their rejection. He kept going faithful to his Father healing the sick and teaching the word of God.
Where it says God’s Servant would be like smoking flax that could not be quenched this is referring again to the character of Jesus Christ. This means that Jesus would continue his mission in spite of opposition just like smoking flax that couldn’t be quenched. Smoking flax reminds me of a certain kind of fuse used for lighting dynamite. I have experimented with this kind of fuse. You can stomp on it, you can put it in water, it just will not go out but keeps on burning. About the only way you can put this stuff out is by cutting it off. That's what the Bible's talking about here. Jesus, our Messiah, the Savior of the world, would not be quenched. He would keep on going in his ministry no matter what kind of opposition came from people. Nothing could stop on him! He would just keep on preaching, healing the sick and ministering to people until He fulfilled his mission.
How did he do it? He did it with the help of the Holy Spirit. This is encouraging because the same Holy Spirit that was upon Jesus is now not only upon but living in Believers! Check out Isaiah 59:17-20 and Romans 8:11 that talk about the same Spirit of the Lord living in Believers! The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to be like Jesus, so that nothing quenches our fire for God and we don't break under pressure. We just keep on preaching and keep on ministering and keep on healing the sick and keep on building the church and keep on doing our ministry until Jesus Christ comes or we go to be with him. Are you tired and weak? Ask the Father to fill you afresh with the Holy Spirit and make you like Jesus, unstoppable until you complete all God had for you to accomplish in this world. That’s a prayer the Father will answer, Jesus guarantee’s it! Luke 11:13 That's it my friends rejoice and have a wonderful day of the Lord.
PRAYER TO APPLY THE WORD OF GOD TO OUR LIVES
ORDINATION
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll